Newburgh, New York

For the neighboring town, seeNewburgh, New York (town).

Newburghis acityinOrange County, New York,United States. With a population of 28,856 as of the2020 census,it is a principal city of theKiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh metropolitan area.Located 60 miles (97 km) north ofNew York City,and 90 miles (140 km) south ofAlbanyon theHudson Riverwithin theHudson Valley Area,the city of Newburgh is located nearStewart International Airport,one of the primary airports forDownstate New York.

Newburgh, New York
City
Downtown Newburgh fromBeacon, across the Hudson River
Flag Seal
Location inOrange Countyand the state ofNew York.
Newburgh Newburgh
Coordinates:41°31′11″N74°1′17″W
Country	United States
State	New York
County	Orange
Settled	1709(1709)
Village Incorporation	March 25, 1800(1800-03-25)
City incorporation	1865(1865)
Government
• Type	Council–manager
• City manager	Todd Venning
• Mayor	Torrance Harvey (D)
Area
•City	4.78 sq mi (12.39 km2)
• Land	3.81 sq mi (9.86 km2)
• Water	0.98 sq mi (2.53 km2)
Highest elevation	690 ft (210 m)
Lowest elevation	0 ft (0 m)
Population (2020)
•City	28,856
• Density	7,581.71/sq mi (2,927.24/km2)
•Metro	670,301
Demonym	Newburgher
Time zone	UTC-5(Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4(Eastern)
ZIP Code	12550
Area code	845
FIPS code	36-071-50034
GNISfeature ID	0958498
FIPS code	36-50034
Primary airport	Stewart International Airport
Website	www.cityofnewburgh-ny.gov

The Newburgh area was first settled in the early 18th century by theGermansandBritish.During theAmerican Revolution,Newburgh served as the headquarters of theContinental Army.Prior to its chartering in 1865, the city of Newburgh was part of thetown of Newburgh;the town now borders the city to the north and west. East of the city is theHudson River;the city ofBeaconis across the river and it is connected to Newburgh via theNewburgh–Beacon Bridge.The entire southern boundary of the city is with thetown of New Windsor.Most of this boundary is formed byQuassaick Creek.In May 2016, the city requested help for itsPFOScontaminated water supply underSuperfund.

Newburgh is the location of numerous preserved landmarks, includingWashington's Headquarters,theDavid Crawford House,New York State Armory,theDutch Reformed Church,andNewburgh Colored Burial Ground.George WashingtonandFranklin Delano Roosevelthad ties to the city;Ulysses S. Grant,Robert Kennedy,andTheodore Rooseveltalso visited, the latter delivering a famous speech at a nearby shipyard. The city served as a planning ground for theGothic Revivalarchitectural movement in America, headed by nativeAndrew Jackson Downingwith English architectsCalvert VauxandFrederick Clarke Withers.

Mount Saint Mary Collegeis aprivateliberal arts collegelocated here.

History

At the time of European contact the area of Newburgh was occupied by theWaoranek,a branch of theLenape.The area that became Newburgh was first explored by Europeans whenHenry Hudsonstopped by during his 1609 expedition up the river that now bears his name. His navigator, Robert Juet, is said to have called the site "a pleasant place to build a town",although some later historians believe he may actually have been referring to the area whereCornwall-on-Hudsonnow stands.

Around 1683,provincial governorThomas Donganpurchased the land from the Woaranek people. The first settlement was made in the spring of 1709 by fifty-fourPalatine refugees,sponsored byQueen Anne of Great Britain.The settlers named it the Palatine Parish by Quassic. In 1743, a ferry at the foot of First Street had been established between Newburgh and Fishkill Landing (nowBeacon, New York).In 1752, the land had been surveyed byCadwallader Coldenand named "Newburgh", perhaps after one of the Newburghs (there are two) in his father's native Scotland (Colden himself was born in Ireland).Shipyards were established and docks and warehouses lined the waterfront.

In April 1782, GeneralGeorge Washingtonmade his headquarters at the farmhouse of the Hasbrouck family, making Newburgh theContinental Army's headquarters; he remained there until August 1783. This was Washington's longest stay at any of his over 160 headquarters.In March 1782, Washington received the famousNewburgh letterfromLewis Nicola,suggesting that he declare himselfkingof the United States, a suggestion he strongly rejected. In honor of that rejection, Kings Highway, the north–south street on which the Newburgh headquarters is located, was renamed Liberty Street.In March 1783, feeling embittered over their lack of payment fromCongress,an anonymous letter circulated amongst the senior officers encamped at the nearbyNew Windsor Cantonment,calling for a meeting between the officers to decide what course of action to take against Congress; the letter advocated for an ultimatum stating that if peace was declared and the officers were still unpaid, they would refuse to disband the army — effectively a military mutiny against the civilian government. This letter began what is now known as the "Newburgh Conspiracy".After delivering the" Newburgh Address "and reading aloud a letter from Congressman Joseph Jones of Virginia, Washington was able to persuade his officers to stay loyal to Congress and to him. A month later, Washington delivered theProclamation of the Cessation of Hostilitiesthat announced the preliminary peace treaty with the United Kingdom, and ordering the army to officially stand down. This marked the effective end of the fighting of the American Revolution, exactly 8 years later to the day since the fighting began at theBattles of Le xing ton and Concord.TheHasbrouck Housewas purchased by New York State in 1850 to preserve the site, making it the very first publicly owned historic site in the United States.

Growth

Woodcut of Newburgh in 1842, when theDutch Reformed Church,had its original dome and lantern

Water Streetc. 1906;the buildings were demolished in urban renewal efforts of the 1960s and 1970s.

In 1793, Newburgh's first newspaper,The Newburgh Packet,was established. The hamlet of Newburgh was incorporated as a village in 1800. At the time of its settlement it was inUlster Countyand was that county's seat. WhenRockland Countywas split from Orange County in 1798, Newburgh and the other towns north ofMoodna Creekwere put in a redrawn Orange County. Newburgh thus lost its status as the county seat toGoshen,but as a political compromise supreme court sessions continued to be heard in Newburgh as well as the county seat of Goshen, the only place in New York State this is permitted. Although technically still permitted by statute, this practice was discontinued in the mid-1960s. The former County courthouse still stands as Newburgh's old city courthouse building (currently used as municipal office space).

By 1793 there were four sloop lines operating out of Newburgh. As new turnpikes opened trade extended into the interior, passenger coaches and farm wagons raveled as far west asCanandaigua.This was the shortest route from the Hudson toWestern New York.By 1819 a steamboat onCayuga Lakeconnected Newburgh stage lines with Ithaca. Streets leading to the river were often blocked for hours with farmers' wagons waiting to be unloaded at the wharves. With the opening of theErie Canalmuch of the traffic from theSouthern Tierwas diverted. In 1830 Richard Carpenter of Newburgh had the steamboatWilliam Youngbuilt atLow Point;it ran between Newburgh and Albany.Prosperity returned with the arrival of the railroads.

On the evening of September 24, 1824, beacon fires in theHudson Highlandsannounced the arrival ofthe Marquis de Lafayette.Having been feted in New York, he sailed upriver on the chartered steamerJames Kent.The next day, people came from the surrounding towns to catch a glimpse of the general as he made his way to a reception at the Orange Hotel. The Rev. John Brown of St. George'sEpiscopal Churchwas part of the welcoming committee. At 2 am., Lafayette sailed from Reeve & Falls dock for Poughkeepsie.

TheErie Railroadcharter was amended April 8, 1845, to allow the building of theNewburgh Branch,running from the main line near Greycourt northeast to Newburgh, also on the Hudson River. The branch opened January 8, 1850.It was later used as a connection to theNew York and New England Railroadvia a car float operation across the river toBeacon, New York.

Newburgh was chartered as a city in April 1865.

Newburgh became quite prosperous during theGilded Agethat followed. Newburgh had telephone service in 1879.In 1883 there was a steamboat landing on Second Street. The United States Hotel was on Front Street opposite the landing. Also on Front Street near the landing was the Union Depot.In 1883, theWest Shore Railroadinaugurated service to thePennsylvania Railroad DepotatJersey Cityand by 1886 was traveling toWeehawken Terminal,where passengers transferred to ferries toManhattan.

With its situation on the Hudson River, midway between New York City and Albany, it became a transportation hub and an industrial center. Its industries included the manufacturing of cottons, woolens, silks, paper, felt hats, baking powder, soap, paper boxes, brick, plush goods,steam boilers,tools, automobiles, coin silver, bleach, candles, waterway gates, ice machines, pumps, moving-picture screens, overalls, perfumes, furniture, carpets, carburetors, spiral springs, spiral pipe, shirt waists, shirts, felt goods, lawn mowers; shipyards;foundriesand machine shops;tanneries;leatherette works; and plaster works.

J. J. Nutt said of Newburgh:

The year 1891 finds us the most thriving city on the Hudson, with citizens full of spirit of public enterprise, with public institutions comparatively unequalled, and with apparently every factor and requisite to ensure its bright future as a manufacturing and commercial city of importance...

— J. J. Nutt

Newburgh was home to the second Edison power plant, which installed and powered 126 lamps at the Orange Woolen Mill, and was the second American city (after New York's Pearl Street) to have a street lit using electricity.Broadway, which at 132 feet (40 m) in width is one of the widest streets in the state of New York, runs through the city culminating with views of the Hudson River.

20th and 21st centuries

Newburgh played a pivotal role in television history. In October 1939,RCAchose to test-market televisions in Newburgh, which was within range of the television signal of RCA's experimental stationW2XBS.Six hundred sets were sold in Newburgh at a deep discount. The test-marketing campaign's success encouraged RCA to go forward with developing the new medium. Additionally, with consumer television production ceasing duringWorld War II,those Newburgh households which purchased televisions during 1939 and 1940 were among the few to enjoy television (albeit with a greatly reduced programming schedule) during the war.

Newburgh was one of the first cities in the country to fluoridate its water in 1945.

In the late 20th century the industrial base of the city declined as industries relocated operations south or to other locations with cheaper labor costs and lower taxes. The Hudson River, which previously served as the main means of transporting goods, lost much of its shipping traffic totrucking.The city's trolley system was shut down in 1924 in favor of buses. The nation moved to the automobile for transportation and, as with many other cities, there was a resultingmigration to the suburbs.In 1963 theNewburgh–Beacon Bridgewas opened, carryingInterstate 84and spanning the Hudson River, bypassing the Newburgh waterfront and the city of Newburgh altogether. The ferry closed down soon thereafter—it was notreviveduntil 2005—and the waterfront area declined rapidly.

In 1962, Lloyd's Department Store became the first major shopping center in Newburgh. Its motto was "Years Ahead". Many features of Lloyd's, including widely divergent ministores under one roof, did not become common in other shopping centers for many decades. Lloyd's successfully drew a great deal of retail business away from the downtown area. In 1964, the Mid Valley Mall opened, also outside of the city limits in Newburgh, and attracted many long-established local businesses away from the waterfront and downtown city of Newburgh. Other retail shopping malls soon sprang up, all also outside the city of Newburgh, and the retail industry of the city declined further. The city continued to lose its previously well regarded retail sector along Water Street and Broadway to the suburban shopping malls, which did not share the city's congested parking and traffic problems or the perceived rising crime rate.

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, the city's response to the economic decline was an ambitiousurban renewalplan. The city's historic waterfront area, an area composed of several square blocks which included numerous historically significant buildings, was completelydemolishedbetween 1970 and 1973. Residents were relocated, or were supposed to be relocated, to newerhousing projectsaround Muchattoes Lake in the city's interior.

A grand complex that was planned for the urban renewal area was never built when state and federal spending began to dry up after the1973 oil crisis.To this day, the blocks which slope down to the river remain open, grassy slopes, offering sweeping views of the Hudson but generating noproperty taxesfor the city. Public sentiment is mixed on whether they should be built on again at all, and the city's view-protection ordinances make it less likely. Below, the waterfront was developed in the late 1990s after the city was once again able to secure grants from the state's Environmental Protection fund forriprapto stabilize the shoreline.

City manager Joseph Mitchell attending the Newburgh City Council in 1961

In the early 1960s, city managerJoseph McDowell Mitchelland the council attracted nationwide attention when they attempted to require welfare recipients to pick up their payments at police headquarters. Mitchell later announced a program that would have denied welfare payments after three months except to the aged, the blind and the handicapped. After opposition by both state and federal officials, the program created a national controversy and never went into effect.

Newburgh in the early 21st century is more racially diverse than previously, with a growingLatin Americanimmigrantpopulation (mainly ofMexicandescent) in addition to the city's sizable African American demographic.

Geography

Barge in frozen Newburgh Bay, 2011

Newburgh is situated in theNortheastern United States,inDownstate New York'sHudson Valley region.It is located withinOrange Countybordering theHudson Riveron the west bank. The town ofNewburghborders the city to the north and west, and the town ofNew Windsorborders the south.

Adjacent to Newburgh, the land rises at first sharply to a bluff, where many historic structures are located, offering sweeping views of theHudson Highlandsto the south;Mount Beaconto the east and theNewburgh—Beacon Bridgeto the north; then more gradually to a relatively level western half. There are some notable hills in outlying areas such as the Washington Heights section in southeast Newburgh and Mount St. Mary's at the northeast. The lowest elevation in the city is at sea level along the river; the highest is roughly 690 feet (210 m) on Snake Hill along the city's boundary with the town of New Windsor.

According to theUnited States Census Bureau,the city is located at the following coordinates: (41.503193, −74.019636). According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Newburgh has a total area of 4.8 sq mi (12.4 km²), of which 3.8 sq mi (9.9 km²) is land and 0.97 sq mi (2.5 km²) (20.08%) is water. Newburgh makes up a part of theKiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh metropolitan area,which is a part of the largerNew York metropolitan area.

Climate

Typical to Downstate New York, the city of Newburgh lies in the transitional zone betweenhumid subtropicalandhumid continentalclimates under theKöppen climate classification.

Annually, according toSperling's BestPlaces,the city receives an average of 191 sunny days.Wintersare cold and damp, and the city of Newburgh may receive up to 36.8 inches (934.72 mm) of snowfall. The months of January and February are the coldest months of the year with an average low of 18 degreesFahrenheitor -7.7Celsius.February is also the driest month.Summers tend to be hot and humid, with an average high of 84 °F (28.8 °C) in July.June, August, and September are the most comfortable months according toSperling's BestPlaces.Newburgh receives approximately 47 inches (1,193.8 mm) of rainfall annually.

Climate data for Newburgh, New York (Stewart International Airport)
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °F (°C)	71 (22)	75 (24)	87 (31)	96 (36)	97 (36)	102 (39)	103 (39)	103 (39)	105 (41)	91 (33)	82 (28)	75 (24)	105 (41)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C)	35 (2)	39 (4)	48 (9)	61 (16)	71 (22)	80 (27)	85 (29)	83 (28)	75 (24)	63 (17)	51 (11)	40 (4)	61 (16)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C)	18 (−8)	20 (−7)	28 (−2)	38 (3)	48 (9)	57 (14)	61 (16)	60 (16)	53 (12)	45 (7)	33 (1)	22 (−6)	40 (5)
Record low °F (°C)	−22 (−30)	−18 (−28)	−3 (−19)	15 (−9)	27 (−3)	38 (3)	45 (7)	40 (4)	29 (−2)	19 (−7)	8 (−13)	−13 (−25)	−22 (−30)
Averageprecipitationinches (mm)	3.66 (93)	3.20 (81)	3.89 (99)	4.13 (105)	4.11 (104)	4.56 (116)	4.59 (117)	4.61 (117)	4.47 (114)	4.99 (127)	4.33 (110)	4.20 (107)	50.74 (1,289)
Source: The Weather Channel

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1860	12,578		—
1870	17,014		35.3%
1880	18,049		6.1%
1890	23,087		27.9%
1900	24,943		8.0%
1910	27,805		11.5%
1920	30,366		9.2%
1930	31,275		3.0%
1940	31,883		1.9%
1950	31,956		0.2%
1960	30,979		−3.1%
1970	26,219		−15.4%
1980	23,438		−10.6%
1990	26,454		12.9%
2000	28,259		6.8%
2010	28,866		2.1%
2020	28,856		0.0%
U.S. Decennial Census

Newburgh's census-estimated population according to theAmerican Community Surveywas 28,282 in 2018, down from 28,866 in 2010.There were 11,765 housing units in 2018. The city's inhabitants were 20.1%non-Hispanic white,24.2%African American,.3%American Indian or Alaska native,1.1%Asian,.5% from some other race, 2.9% fromtwo or more races,and 50.8% wereHispanic or Latinoof any race in 2018. Of the Hispanic or Latin American population,Mexicansnumbered 5,093 (18.0%),Puerto Ricans3,337 (11.8%),Cubans44 (.2%) and other Hispanic or Latin Americans 5,893 (20.85%). A sizable Asian community ofChinese,Filipino,Vietnamese,andKorean Americansresided in the city. The largest multiracial groups wereblack-white mixed race peopleand Eurasians.

There were 9,358 households, out of which 20.0% had children under 6 living with them and 52.4% had children aged 6 to 17.42.0% of households had one or more people under 18 years and 30.4% had one or more people aged 60 and older living. The average household size was 2.92. In 2018, there were 5,752 families with an average family size of 3.8. Among unmarried-partner households,.9% were same-sex and 9.4% were opposite sex.

31.7% of the population was under the age of 18, 68.3% were 18 and older, and 9.4% were aged 65 and older. The median age was 29.1 years, a slight increase since 2000's census.For every 100 females, there were 88.1 males living in Newburgh. 55.4% of the city only spoke English and 44.6% spoke a language other than English.41.5% understood Spanish in 2018 and 2.6% spoke anotherIndo-European language.0.3% spoke Pacific Islander languages.

The median income for a household from 2014 to 2018 was $37,900 and the mean income was $53,772.51.5% were below the poverty level and 84.5% were at or above the poverty level.Despite progress from the early 1990s,poverty remained a significant problem. The2000 censusfound that two of the city's fivecensus tractswere among the poorest in the entire state. In 2004 the state declared it one of the state's five most "stressed"cities, based on a mix of statistics like families headed by single mothers, abandoned buildings, unemployment, residents under the poverty line and adults without a high school diploma.

Religion

Masjid al-Ikhlas,where the2009 New York City bomb plotwas hatched

According toSperling's BestPlaces,53.5% of Newburghers are religious.The largest Christian denomination in the city is theCatholic Church(35.7%), served by theRoman Catholic Archdiocese of New York.2.1% of Christians professMethodism,1.9% arePresbyterian,1.2%Lutheran,1.1Pentecostal,1.0%Anglican or Episcopalian,0.5%Baptist,and 0.4% from theLatter-Day Saint movement.1.7% are of another Christian faith which may consist of theEastern Orthodox Churchandothers.The second largest religious demographic are adherents toJudaism.Jews form 6.5% of the Newburgher faith community. The Jewish Federation of Orange County is headquartered in the city and Congregation Agudas Israel and Temple Beth Jacob are located in the city limits.1.1% of the faith community follow Islam and 0.2% are members of aneastern religionincluding Hinduism, Buddhism, orSikhism.

The Dutch Reformed Church, a National Historic Landmark

St. George's Episcopal Church

In 1728 the Rev. Richard Charlton was sent from England to be a missionary to the people of New Windsor in then Ulster County (later Newburgh in Orange County). St. George's Church developed fromSt. Thomas' Churchin New Windsor. In 1770, during the tenure of the Rev. John Sayre, St. George's Church was granted a royal charter by King George III. The Rev. Mr. Sayres left for Canada at the time of the Revolution. In 1790 Rev George Spierin served as both minister and schoolmaster, but resigned in 1793. St. George's Church was re-established in 1805.In 1838 the Rev Dr. John Brown organized St. George's Cemetery, open to members of any race, religion or belief. He was also a founder of St. Luke's Hospital.Originally, services were held in the old Glebe schoolhouse until the church was built in 1819. In 1834 the bell tower was added. Dr. Brown was succeeded by his assistant, Rev. Octavius Applegate who founded the mission chapel, of the Good Shepherd.

St. Patrick's Roman Catholic Church

The first Catholic service in Newburgh took place around 1816 when Mass was said in the house of Henry Gilmore on Western Avenue (now Broadway) by Rev. James McKenna. He was followed in 1817 by Rev. Ffrench. A church was formed in 1826, served by circuit-riding missionaries. Rev. Philip O'Reilly made Newburgh the base from which he served other communities.St. Patrick's Church was founded in 1836. Fr. Patrick Duffy was the first pastor and served for seventeen years until his death in 1853.He was followed by Rev. Gallagher, who was succeeded by Rev. Edward J. O'Reilly. Father O'Reilly was followed by Father Broidy. A stone church building was completed in December 1842 and formally dedicated by BishopJohn Hughesof New York in 1849. In 1852 land was purchased for a cemetery at the corner of First and Stone streets. The rectory was built in 1854. The parish established in 1855 a Library Association, later known as the Young Men's Catholic Lyceum. In 1881 a new building was erected for the Lyceum on Liberty St.

In 1879 Right Rev. Monsignor J.F. Mooney became pastor and started the mission of St. Joseph's in New Windsor. He also founded Calvary Cemetery which opened on May 30, 1898.

St. Patrick's began its Hispanic ministry in the mid-1960s. In 1966 Father John Filippelli of theSociety of Saint Joseph of the Sacred Heartinitiated a Spanish Mass as well as cultural celebrations such as theFeast of Three Kings.In 1973, Fr. Rogelio Cuesta, OP was named Director of the Hispanic Apostolate of Newburgh and Beacon. Other patronal feasts were celebrated such as Our Lady of Charity from Cuba, Señor de los Milagros of Peru, and Our Lady of Suyapa of Honduras, reflecting the diversity of the community. In 1989 the ministry was expanded to include outreach to migrant workers.

Mount St. Mary's Motherhouse, 2007

St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church

St. Mary's Church was founded in 1875, when the archbishop,John McCloskeydivided the original parish creating Mary's parish in the northern part. The first mass in the parish was on Easter Sunday, 1875, in the opera-house. In 1880 the building occupied by the church until 2015 was erected at Gidney Avenue and South Street. In 1883Mount Saint Mary Collegewas founded. In 1884 St. Mary's Parochial School opened on September 1, 1886.

St. Mary's Parish was merged with St. Patrick's effective August 1, 2015. The church building was shuttered and closed and has not been used since that date.

Crime

Newburgh was ranked more dangerous than 95 percent of US cities by websiteNeighborhoodScout,based on 2012 FBI crime data.This group also ranked Newburgh as the tenth most dangerous place to live in the United States based on the same 2012 dataset.It was ranked at number 12 in the previous year's rankings.

In 2010,The New York Timeswrote an extensive article on gang activity in Newburgh.

In 2014, Newburgh began implementing a program called "Group Violence Intervention,"an example of focused deterrence.In 2017, Newburgh reported the lowest crime rates in 10 years.

Economy

Newburgh was once a major economic hub between New York City and the New York State capital ofAlbany.Partly due tosuburbanizationand other economic factors the city suffered an economic decline from the 1960s to first quarter of the 21st century. Currently over 11,400 residents are employed within the city limits.

The largest industries as of 2020 wereretail,healthcareand social assistance,food services,finance,public administration,andeducational services.

Arts and culture

Preservation

Washington's Headquarters State Historic Site

Two homes on Chambers Street, one of them newly renovated, in 2006

US Stamp SC #752 Front Washington's Headquarters 1933

Newburgh's preservation history can be traced all the way back to 1850 whenWashington's Headquarterswas designated a state historic site, the first in the country. The Historical Society of Newburgh Bay and the Highlands was chartered by the State of New York and incorporated in 1884. TheDavid Crawford Houseon Montgomery Street, built in 1830, is the current home of the Historical Society of Newburgh Bay and the Highlands.

The city's modern preservation efforts began when theDutch Reformed Church,aGreek Revivalstructure designed byAlexander Jackson Davis,was slated for demolition as part of urban renewal after the congregation left the building in 1967. The movement to stop it led to the development ofa historic district,now the second largest in New York State. The church was added to theNational Register of Historic Placesthree years later,and in 2001 became the city's secondNational Historic Landmarkafter Washington's Headquarters.

The city was designated a Preserve America community in 2005 and it also signed an agreement with theState Office of Historic Preservationas a Certified Local Government community. ItsEast End Historic District,recognized by the National Register of Historic Places as that and theMontgomery-Grand-Liberty Streets Historic District,has the mostcontributing propertiesof anyhistoric districtin the state.

The city's historic architecture, featuring designs byAlexander Jackson Davis,Calvert Vaux,Andrew Jackson Downing,Frederick Clarke Withers,George E. Harney,John H. Duncan,J. A. Wood,Warren and Wetmore,James Riely Gordon,andMcKim, Mead & Whitehave attracted a stable core of preservation-minded community activists willing to invest, spend time, and money in renovating property. Other notable native architects includeThornton MacNess Niven,ancestor of playwrightThornton Wilder,Elkanah K. Shaw, and Frank E. Estabrook, known for his civic buildings.

Public historical sites

• Old Town Cemetery— The city's first burying ground and religious site, with gravestones dating to the mid 18th century. Features a uniqueEgyptian Revivaltomb thought to be designed by Davis.
• Newburgh Colored Burial Ground— Former site of a Black cemetery, destroyed around the turn of the 20th century. Construction in a parking lot prompted anarcheological dig,which revealed possibly hundreds of remains.
• St. George's Cemetery— An early plannedrural cemeterysituated in the city's East End, with several notable interments. Maintained by St. George's Episcopal Church, the oldest continually-operating church in the city.
• Washington's Headquarters State Historic Site— Headquarters of George Washington during the end of the Revolutionary War, and home of theHuguenotHasbrouck family. It is the first publicly owned historic site in the United States.
• David Crawford House— Headquarters of the Historical Society of Newburgh Bay and the Highlands, who use the house as a museum and library. Built by David Crawford, a freighter and merchant who contributed to the development of the city.
• Downing Park— A Vaux-Olmstead-designed public park given to the memory of Downing. Features pathways similar to Central Park, with a small pond, cafe, amphitheatre, and pergola designed by Estabrook on the foundation of an 18th-century farmhouse.

Sports

Delano-Hitch formerly served as the home field for theNewburgh Black DiamondsandNewburgh Nighthawksbaseball teams.

TheHudson Valley Renegadesare a minor league baseball team affiliated with theNew York Yankees.The team is a member of theNew York–Penn League,and play atDutchess Stadiumin nearbyFishkill.

The Hudson Valley Highlanders of theNorth American Football Leagueplayed their home games atDietz Stadiumin nearbyKingston.

Government

Lower Broadway, 2006

Newburgh has seven elected officials, amayorand sixcity councilmembers, four elected by ward to four-year terms, staggered so that the mayor and two at-large councilmembers are up for re-election one year and four others, by ward, two years later. It was anticipated that in November 2007, Newburgh voters would decide on whether to split Newburgh into eight wards and elect one councilmember from each ward. The Newburgh City Council voted to disallow this referendum from appearing on the ballot pending further public input.

Newburgh Court House, 1907

In 1915 it became one of the first American cities to delegate routine governmental authority to acity manager.The mayor accepts all legal process and often serves as the symbolic head of the city, but other than that has no special powers or role. The city manager, who appoints all other city officials subject to council approval, serves at their pleasure. Since the position was created, there have been 33 managers who have served an average tenure of 2.7 years, with John Fogarty holding the longevity record at eight years in the 1950s. His term ended with his dismissal, as did eight others.

In January 2009, Jean Anne McGrane, the first woman to hold the position, was fired for, among other issues, withholding an unfavorable federal report on the city's mishandling of twoHUDgrantsfrom the city council in the midst of the consideration of a $6 million bond, the 2009 city budget and the 2009 CDBG funds.

The city has had five mayors and eight city managers (five if two who served twice are counted only once) since 2000. Two subsequent acting city managers, after McGrane, quit. Richard Herbek, the third acting manager, took the job months later. He resigned in 2013 amid reports that he had misrepresented an encounter with a prostitute the year before. The (former) police chief, Michael Ferrara, replaced him on an interim basis.Michael G. Ciaravino was appointed City Manager of Newburgh on May 19, 2014, by unanimous vote of the City Council.

Newburgh U.S. Post Office,2007

In April 2018,Judy Kennedy,who was elected Newburgh's mayor in 2011, died ofovarian cancerat the age of 73, leaving the office vacant until her successor Torrance Harvey was appointed the following month.

Newburgh is in the18 Congressional District.

Politics

Tensions flared during the city's hotly contested 1995 mayoral election. Allegations ofelectoral fraudhad dogged the city's first African American woman mayor, Audrey Carey, since her 1991 victory in a four-way race. Supporters ofRepublicancandidate Regina Angelo alleged that many registered voters in neighborhoods Carey had carried heavily used false addresses. In response, four years later deputysheriffswere stationed at polling places and challenged voters to provide proof of residency and identity. Although she won, Carey's supporters claimed that the deputy sheriffs had singled out minority voters for such challenges, and accused the Republicans ofvoter suppression.These tensions were only aggravated when the council selected the city's Republican chairman at the time, Harry Porr, as the new city manager. Carey was defeated by Tyrone Crabb, a black man running on the Republican line, in 1999. Porr was fired, rehired and fired again in 2001. Crabb died suddenly of a heart attack ten days before he was slated to take office. The vacancy was filled by his widow, Mary.

Despite demographics and urban trends favoringDemocrats,the voters of the city had until recent years regularly voted across party lines. Nicholas Valentine, mayor from 2003 until 2011 and several other recent mayors and council members were Republicans. The lateThomas Kirwan—a resident who served in theNew York State Assemblyuntil 2008—and was re-elected in a successful comeback bid in 2010, by one of the smallest margins in state history (15 votes), was a Republican. He died late in 2011. On March 20, a special election was held to fill the vacancy in which former AssemblymanFrank Skartados,Democrat, won by a large margin. In the general election held in November 2011, a newcomer to the city named Judith Kennedy was overwhelmingly elected Mayor over incumbent Republican Councilwoman Christine Bello. In addition, the Democratic candidates for Council seats, Gay Lee and Cedric Brown, were also overwhelmingly elected. Accordingly, the council is now 5-0 Democrat—the first time in recorded history one party monopolizes the Newburgh city government.

An independent documentary was made in 2004 about the mayoral race in Newburgh, calledSaving Newburgh.

In 2009, the Republican party did not field its own candidates for city council. Instead the Republican Committee endorsed two Democrats—one a former councilman, the other an incumbent councilwoman—and they were not opposed for the Republican nomination in the primary despite their being registered Democrats. TheConservativeandIndependenceparties both nominated them also. They lost the Democratic primary and despite their appearing on three party lines they lost the November election to two straight Democrats, both one time Republicans.

Newburgh declared itself asanctuary cityin March 2017.

The City Council passed a ceasefire resolution in Hamas' war on Israel on January 22, 2024.

Education

See also:Poughkeepsie–Newburgh–Middletown metropolitan area § Colleges and universities

In 1978, students atNewburgh Free Academy,the city's public high school, boycotted classes. This ultimately led to a major reorganization of the school system. Newburgh is served by theNewburgh Enlarged City School District.

The local high school is calledNewburgh Free Academy,and it is the largest public high school in Orange County. It serves approximately 3,000 students in grades 9–12 from the Newburgh area. Newburgh Free Academy is currently split into three campuses, with NFA Main located on Fullerton Avenue, NFA North located on Robinson Avenue a few blocks away, and NFA West located on West Street. Between the three campuses, there are roughly over 4,300 students enrolled. Two colleges are located in Newburgh,Mount Saint Mary Collegeand the Newburgh campus ofSUNY Orange.

Media

Newburgh is within themedia marketof New York City andMiddletown.It is served byThe Mid Hudson Times(Newburgh-based weekly),The Times Herald-Record,The Hudson Valley Press,The New York Times,The Wall Street Journal,El Diario La Prensa,The New York Post,and other newspapers local to the area. Its television market featuresNews 12Hudson Valley, a regional television channel marketed toward the Hudson River Valley Area.

Infrastructure

Transportation

Stewart International Airport from above, 2007

The former Newburgh Station of theWest Shore Railroad

Allegiant Air,Breeze,andPlayairlines provide passenger flightsStewart International Airport,west of the city.Metro-North Railroad,atBeacon stationon the opposite east shore of the Hudson River, accessible via theNewburgh–Beacon Ferryduring peak hours, connects to commuter rail service on theHudson Line,with frequentcommuter railservice to Westchester County andGrand Central Terminalin New York City. There is also service on the Metro-North RailroadPort Jervis Linefrom nearbySalisbury Mills—Cornwall stationtoHoboken TerminalandSecaucus JunctioninNew Jerseyand connects toPenn Stationin New York City. The last Albany-Weehawkentrains through Newburgh left in 1958 when theNew York Centralended service north ofWest Haverstrawon theWest Shore Railroad.

The River Roseis a sight-seeing ferry on apaddlewheel style boat.While it does not offer point-to-point commuter service across the Hudson River, from May 31 to October 31 it offers local cruises.Hudson River Adventures runs sightseeing tours on its conventional style cruisePride of the Hudson,running cruises, May to October.

Ulster County Area Transitprovides limited bus service toNew Paltzon its route X.Short Line,part ofCoach USA,provides daily service down Route 32 to Central (Hudson) Valley and points in New Jersey and New York City. Local service is also provided within the city byNewburgh Area TransitLeprechaun Linesalso provides a Newburgh-Beacon-Stewart link.Coach USA also provides transportation to other points in Orange County, including Middletown and Woodbury.

New York State Route 32andU.S. Route 9Wpass through the city.New York State Route 17KandNew York State Route 207also reach their eastern termini within city limits.Interstate 84passes just north of the city and theNew York State Thruway(I-87) not far to the west.

Public safety

Police

Newburgh's early police department consisted of twenty-two officers. On April 6, 1869, the Newburgh Police Department was authorized with regulations by the Common Council Ordinance. The first headquarters of the department was on First Street between Montgomery and Smith Street. Its current headquarters is located on both Broadway and Grand Street.

Fire

Newburgh's Fire Department operates out of two citywide firehouses. The department runs a frontline apparatus fleet of four engine companies (including two reserve engines), two ladder companies (including one reserve ladder), one fire boat, one fire alarm truck, and seven support units. It also houses and runs one of the Orange County Technical Rescue trailers as well as a foam trailer as part of the NYS Foam Task Force.

In 1934 the earlier volunteer companies were replaced by a professional department.

Hospitals

The city's economy is also stimulated by several hospitals and medical institutions includingMontefiore St. Lukes Cornwall Hospital,theVeterans Health Administration(VA) and Hudson Valley Healthcare System.

Water supply

In May 2016, the city requested help for itsPFOScontaminated water supply underSuperfund;The source of the contamination was foam used during firefighting drills held by the Stewart Air National Guard Fire Department.RepresentativeSean Patrick Maloneydemanded emergency action after EPA announcedPFOAand PFOS Standards for Drinking Water,and calledStewart Air National Guard Basebeing "the most likely source" of contamination.

Notable people

• Shad Barry,former MLB player
• Augustus Belknap(1841–1889), businessman, railway executive, Union Army officer, and alderman ofSan Antonio
• William W. Belknap(1829–1890), U.S. Secretary of War
• Mary Bonauto(1961–),civil rightsattorney known for work onsame-sex marriage
• Harry Griffith Cramer Jr.(1926-1957) US Army Special Forces captain, first American soldier killed in the Vietnam War
• Elias Smith Dennis(1812–1894), U.S. Army general
• Andrew Jackson Downing(1815–1852), architect and landscape designer
• Geraldine Ferraro(1935–2011), Democratic Member of the U.S. House of Representatives (1979–1985) and the Democratic vice presidential candidate in 1984
• Pardison Fontaine(1989-), singer, songwriter and rapper
• Michael C. Gross(1945–2015), artist, designer and film producer. Gross designed the logo for the movieGhostbustersand was the Art Director forNational Lampoonfrom 1970 to 1974
• William S. Hart(1864–1946), actor
• Edward Howell(1792–1871), former U.S. Congressman
• William T. Innis(1826–1901), Wisconsin state legislator and farmer
• Augustus Jones(1757–1836), American-born surveyor who performed some land transfers in Newburgh area before embarking his career and majority of life inUpper Canada(nowOntario)
• Ellsworth Kelly(1923–2015), artist
• Judy Kennedy,(1945–2018), politician and businesswoman, Mayor of Newburgh
• Jeff Klein(1976–), singer, songwriter and musician
• Lee Lorenz,cartoonist
• Rob Affuso,former drummer of the band Skid Row
• Martin B. McKneally(1914–1992), national commander of the American Legion (1959–1960) and was a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives (1968–1970)
• Albert J. Myer(1828–1880), United States Army general
• Benjamin Barker Odell, Jr.(1854–1926), Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives (March 4, 1895 – March 4, 1899) and Governor of New York State (1900–1904)
• James Patterson(1947–), novelist
• David Law Proudfit(1842-1897), poet and lithographer
• Homer Ramsdell(1810—1894), influential businessman and railroad president
• George D. Ruggles(1833–1904),Adjutant General of the U.S. Armyfrom 1893 to 1897
• Fannie Morris Spencer(1865-1943), organist and composer
• Joe Steffy,football player forTennesseeandArmy,Korean Warveteran
• Paul Teutul Sr.(1949–), founder of Orange County Choppers, a manufacturer of custom motorcycles
• Albert W. Van Duzer(1917–1999), bishop of theEpiscopal Diocese of New Jersey,serving from 1973 to 1982
• James Varick(1750—1827) first bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church
• Coulton Waugh(1896–1973), artist (ofDickie Darecomic strip) and mapmaker
• Saul Williams(1972–), poet, actor and hip hop artist
• John E. Wool(1784–1869), officer in the U.S. Army

See also

• List of cities in New York

Further reading

• J. J, Nutt,Newburgh: Her Institutions, Industries, and Leading Citizens(Newburgh, 1891)
• L. P. Powell (editor),Historic Towns of the Middle States(New York, 1899)
• J.P. Ritz,The Despised Poor, Newburgh's War on Welfare(Beacon Press, 1966)
• E. M. Ruttenber,History of Orange County with History of the City of Newburgh(Newburgh, 1876)

External links

• City of Newburgh Website